


It Had to be You

by Deannachu



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: F/M, Not sure if I'll add on, Soulmate AU, This was just something fun to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-13
Updated: 2014-05-13
Packaged: 2018-01-24 14:12:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1608041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deannachu/pseuds/Deannachu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where people only get one shot at their future soulmate, Lindsay Tuggey is panicking. Her timer is running out, and if she doesn't meet her soulmate soon - and stop the clock - she is doomed to live the rest of her life alone. When Geoff contemplates hiring a sixth member of Achievement Hunter, and Ray suggests Michael Jones, a man that Lindsay has grown to despise, it seems fate has a cruel way of bringing two unlikely people together in a turn of events.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Had to be You

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know why late at night is the time of day when I get inspirations for stories, but I don't question it. Hope you enjoy! I may or may not add on to this later, this is just a thing.

Lindsay Tuggey was panicking.

All around her, everywhere she went, were couples. Happy, giggling, kissing couples who seemingly did not have a care in the world. They had found each other, their soulmates, and did not have to worry about dying alone. Their clocks had stopped, some early into the countdown and others at the very last second. 

Lindsay was running out of time. 

She was in line at Starbucks, grabbing her morning cup of coffee before she went into the office. Happy couples - and worried singles - filled the shop with conversation, laughter, and the sound of a morning that was just beginning. She glanced at her left wrist at the clock that was engraved there. She was born with it - everyone was. As soon as a baby was born the clock appeared and began its countdown, giving that person a set amount of time to run into their soulmate. Most were lucky and were given well into their twenties; a poor few, like Lindsay's younger sister, were given until their eighteenth birthday. No one understood the reason for the clocks or why they were there, but everyone adapted to them. 

7:5:00:45:00:.30

Seven days. Five hours. Forty-five minutes. Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight...

She scoffed.  _Seven days. What is this, The Ring?_

She thanked the barista for her warm drink and headed outside into the bright morning sunshine. It hadn't gotten warm yet, so the air was just brisk enough to need a jacket if you were outside. She walked across the road to the Rooster Teeth building, dodging passing cars and waving to faces she was familiar with. Her bright red hair blew in the breeze. She saw Gavin and Ray through the glass door, messing with some kind of toy they had been sent by a fan. As soon as she opened the door she was immediately greeted by a nerf dart to the forehead.

"Oh Jesus, sorry Lindsay," Ray said hurriedly, rushing over to her to make sure that she was okay. She rolled her eyes and smiled at the boy. 

"Good morning to you too. It's not even 9:00 and you're already causing trouble, Ray? I think that's a new record for you," she teased, walking around the pair to the back of the building where her desk was located. Gavin and Ray trailed along like puppies behind the woman. She settled into her desk, logging on and opening up various video files she had been sent to edit. 

She set to work opening up the first file - a Minecraft Let's Play - and was about to put her headphones on when she noticed the two men still hovering over her desk. "Was there something you needed?" she asked, not unkindly. Gavin looked like he was going to burst with excitement. 

"Geoff's talking about hiring a sixth Achievement Hunter member," he blurted out, letting loose one of his Gavin squeals. She raised her eyebrow, stunned at the news.

"I thought he was always content with just having the five of you, seeing as that office is pretty cramped already," she inquired, setting her headphones back on the desk. Lindsay had been trying to get Geoff to hire another member for well over six months, as she had a friend - Barbara - who was a pretty avid gamer, but he always shot her down, making excuses about space and having to talk with Joel and Burnie and a lot of other shit. 

"I overheard him on the phone this morning talking about it, and confronted him once he was done," said Gav, smiling from ear to ear. "Ray has a friend that he's sure will be interested in the job opportunity, as he just moved to Austin."

"Really? Who?"

Ray looked uncomfortable, ducking his head. "Michael." Lindsay's face turned bright red - with anger - at the sound of that man's name. 

"Are you fucking with me? You're going to set up a meeting with Geoff and  _that asshole you call a friend_?" she shouted, startling Ray so badly he tripped over his own two feet. Lindsay was livid. She had met Michael - via Skype - when Ray added him to one of their Skype calls. At first she thought he was okay since he had a really great sense of humor, but it all went downhill from there. Putting aside the fact that he had been drinking, he was a complete asshole to her during one of their group gaming sessions. He yelled at her when she messed up, said she was a shit gamer, ranted about how girls are only good for making food and sucking a guy off, and called her a bounty of names. 

The wall in her bedroom still had a hole in it to this day from where she threw her Xbox controller. 

"Come on Lindsay, you only talked to him once, and that was when he was drunk. I told you that he becomes a complete dick when he drinks," Ray said, defending his long-time friend. She turned to her computer screen and shoved her headphones on, determined to drown out the rest of this conversation. 

"Look I know you're on edge because your timer is running out..." began Gavin before slapping a hand over his mouth. She froze in her seat, heart racing a million miles an hour as she stared down at the timer on her wrist. She quickly covered it with her hand before turning around to face Gavin.

"Please just leave," she whispered, a pained expression on her face. Ray opened his mouth to speak but was immediately cut off. " _I said get out!_ " Their shoulders sank as they grudgingly left the room.

"Nice going, asshole. You know she's sensitive about her timer!"

"It just slipped out, I didn't mean to..."

Lindsay sat there in silence for a while near tears as she let her mind wander. Ray's timer, though still counting down, was nowhere near running out and Gavin's had already stopped - when Lindsay introduced him to Meg Turney it shuddered to a halt. She was one of the only members of the company with a still moving timer and she was running out of time. She felt extremely helpless when someone brought the topic up because there were no instructions that came with it. There were no helpful hints to guide her along the way; she had to figure it all out essentially on her own.  There was no map, no notes scattered around her life, nothing. She was alone.

\--

Two days later, Lindsay found it difficult to get out of bed. Today was the day Geoff would be interviewing Michael for the position and all Lindsay wanted to do was avoid the office today. Her hand itched to pick up the phone and just call in sick, but Geoff wouldn't allow it. He knew how she felt towards Michael and pulled her aside the day before to pretty much tell her that she needed to 'get over it' because there was a possibility Michael would get the job. She just huffed and called him a string of curse words under her breath when he was out of ear shot.

Her phone chimed with a couple of text messages; both were from Ray, telling her that if she got to work early she could hide away in her office and not even have to see him. She could spend that time deep into her editing and he would be there and gone before she even realized what time it was. She put a pillow to her face and let out a scream before getting out of bed. In the bathroom she examined her timer, which was now settled on five days and counting. The anxious feeling returned as she worried even more about the possibility of it running down. She had only met one person in her life whose clock had run down fully, and that person was almost permanently depressed. 

She didn't want to end up that way.

When she walked into the office about an hour later she made a beeline for her desk, where she promptly sat down and got to work editing, barely paying attention as time passed. She managed to finish a GTA V video, a Things to Do, and a new Let's Play that Ray and Gavin played when the two idiots came and sat down beside her. 

"Geoff hired him," Ray said, coming right out with the news. She rolled her eyes, dread filling her veins like ice. "He knows of your feelings toward him but he liked him; he's seen some of his videos and thinks he would be a great addition to the group. You don't have to interact with him if you don't want."

The air seemed thick between the boys and Lindsay. "But?"

"But," said Gavin, "he starts on Monday and Geoff wants you to meet him. All you have to do is shake his hand, say a couple of words, and then you don't have to speak to him again if you don't want." 

She glanced at her timer again, something she had taken to doing almost out of habit nowadays. "I guess meeting him won't kill me. I would just like it to be put on record that I don't like it." 

"You don't have to like it, you just have to do it for Geoff's sake," Ray chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She laughed and leaned into him. At one point, when she first started working for Rooster Teeth, she had this massive crush on Ray. She became hopeful that he was her soulmate and that her clock was just being stubborn about stopping for him. It was only after they had gone on a couple of dates that she realized he wasn't "the one"; so they just became friends, nothing more. 

Suddenly Ryan ran into the room with something in his hand, which he promptly threw at Gavin. Lindsay heard a stomach-churning 'squish' as it landed in his lap and then Gavin promptly got up, gagging, and ran for the bathroom. She looked at the offending object - wet bread - and glared at Ryan, who was doubled over with laughter. 

"What the fuck, man?" she yelled, trying her best to keep a straight face.

"Gus dared me to," he managed to wheeze out before collapsing on the ground in a fit of laughter. She kept up the poker face for just a few more moments before it all went to hell and she was on the ground right next to Ryan, laughing herself into stitches. 

For a moment, she forgot about Michael being hired, forgot about Monday, and forgot about her timer. All for a brief moment.

\--

The rest of the week passed by with a blur and the weekend was even fuzzier, as she and Barbara, along with Ray (the designated driver) and Gavin hit the bars. The alcohol made her worry less about her life and focus more on the moment. 

However, reality struck with the force of an dump truck when she woke up Monday morning to her alarm. _7:30am._  When she got up to turn on the light she glanced at her wrist, almost in tears. 

0:3:00:30:00:.24

 _Three hours until I'll find out if I'm destined to die_ _alone,_ she thought, wiping at her burning eyes. She was determined to make it through the day with a smile on her face, regardless of the probability of going through life without a significant other. She saw what it did to the man she met who was destined to that fate. The ones destined for a lonely life were given this pulsating aura, one that only singles would be able to see, giving off the warning that that person was not a candidate to be a soulmate. Although those people were rare, they did exist, and Lindsay's heart ached at the thought that she might soon be one of them.

She showered in silence, dressed, and walked out of her apartment to head for the office. With coffee in hand she walked through the doors and made her way to her desk, ignoring the greetings from Gavin and Ray. She didn't want to obsess over her timer when it hit zero. She wanted it to pass so quickly that she wouldn't even realize it. 0:2:00:08:00:.12 left until she would know. She stuck her headphones on and set to work, a tear slowly making its way down her cheek.

_Maybe I really am destined to die alone._

_\--_

A couple hours later, Ray came to her desk. "Michael's here so Geoff told me to come get you." He glanced down at her wrist with a pained expression on his face. 0:0:00:02:00:.40 "I'm sorry, Lindsay." She shrugged, wiping a tear from her eye.

"I just wasn't destined to find my soulmate. It happens," she said, trying to shrug it off like it wasn't a big deal. Ray wrapped an arm around her and guided her towards the Achievement Hunter office. She leaned into him for support, ready to begin her lonely life.

As they neared the office she recognized the head of curly brown hair that was Michael, and heard his voice as he talked rather loudly to Geoff. She had less than a minute now until the timer reached zero. Since she was going to be alone, she shook off any anger she had at Michael and walked up to him. "I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Lindsay," she said, holding out her hand. He turned around, and dark brown eyes hidden by glasses met her own. He gave her a timid smile and reached out to shake her hand. 

"Michael, he greeted, pumping her hand. When their hands connected she felt static and a warm sensation, causing her to quickly release his hand. "Fuck, what was that?" he winced, shaking his hand. His expression froze as he locked onto his wrist, staring at something.

The room had gone dead silent.

"Uh. Linds?" asked Gavin, staring down at her wrist. "You... you might want to take a look at your timer." She froze, staring at Gavin with a shocked expression before cautiously glancing down at her wrist. What she saw caused her heart to start racing.

0:0:00:0:00:.01

Her clock had stopped, and apparently so had Michael's.

"No," she said, backing away from the man who was just as shocked as she was. "No, this can't be it. This has to be some kind of cosmic joke.  _Michael Jones cannot be my soul mate._ " Michael stared at her with a hurt expression on his face as he held his left wrist in his hand.

"I don't understand it either," he said softly, taking a step towards her. She promptly stepped back. Ray and Gavin simply stared at one another while Geoff seemed to be at a loss for words. Lindsay stood in the silent room for a few moments before fleeing to the nearest empty office, locking herself inside it.

"So much for a simple first day, huh?" she heard Geoff ask Michael. 

Lindsay stayed in that office for a while, arms wrapped around her knees. The timer seemed to taunt her when she looked at it. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she stared at the ceiling. "What did I do to deserve that asshole as a soulmate?" she asked to no one, sobbing into her knees.

There was a knock on the door. "Lindsay?" It was Michael, and the sound of his voice only made her sob harder.

"G-go away!" she called.

"Lindsay please open the door, I just want to talk," he pleaded, rattling the doorknob. She continued to sit on the floor before getting up and unlocking the door. He pushed it open hesitantly, as if afraid that she would bite him. 

"Go ahead. Talk. We have all the time in the world," she spat bitterly, glaring at his timer, which was stopped with two months left to go. He flinched at her tone and reached behind his head, something she had seen boys do all the time. She guessed it was some kind of comfort thing for them. 

"Look. I wasn't prepared for this either," he began, continuing to stand by the door. "I just came to say that this doesn't have to affect our job. We can continue living our normal lives even with this knowledge. I don't know you well and you don't know me very well, so there's no reason that we have to let this take over our lives."

"I don't  _want_ to get to know you. I remember how you were during that Skype call," she spat. "You were a complete asshole to me."

He grimaced. "I was also drunk, and I'm not a very nice person when that happens."

"Obviously." The sarcasm in her voice dripped with venom, something he picked up on.

"I just want to call a truce. We don't even have to interact with one another if you don't want," he suggested, still keeping his distance. She contemplated the idea, realizing that being on civil terms with the man was better than throwing hurtful words at him everyday, which would make both of their jobs a lot more complicated. 

"Fine. Truce," she decided, standing up and holding out her hand once more. They shook hands, each feeling that warmth once more, although without the static. They pulled apart quickly and Michael left, leaving Lindsay once again in peace.

 _It had to be you,_ she thought.  _Out of all people, it had to be you._

**Author's Note:**

> So like I said, I will probably make this a multi-chapter fic, but for now it'll just be one chapter. Please let me know what you think! x


End file.
